Anti-acne medicine Accutane harmful? Case comes to Atlanta

The federal appeals court in Atlanta is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday over whether a U.S. district court judge in Florida should have dismissed testimony from an expert witness who would have testified that the anti-acne drug Accutane is linked to medical problems.

The argument is central to the case for nine plaintiffs who say the medication, distributed by New Jersey-based Hoffmann-La Roche, caused adverse health effects.

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Similar lawsuits have had some success. A Florida jury awarded $7 million in 2007 to a man who had most of his colon removed after suffering from a disease apparently caused by Accutane. The company is appealing that decision.

In April, a Utah jury awarded a woman $10 million, saying the manufacturer downplayed the drug’s risks.